Bubble tray



May 6, 1941. B. F. ARMSTRONG I 2,241,370

BUBBLE TRAY Filed Aug. 12. 19s

1 EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented May 6, 1941 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE BUBBLE may Benjamin F. Armstrong, Kew Gardens, N. Y. Application August 1 2, 1937, Serial No. 158,681

5 Claims.

The invention relates to a bubble tray so constructed that it may be inserted in a pipe or a tube from either end, like a piston, and by means of flexible packing or a metallic piston ring, carried in the groove of the tray, contact between the piston and the wall of the tube or pipe is made sufllciently tight against passage of fluids to insure proper functioning of the tray in whatever service the true bubbling principle is sought.

The objects of this device are: first, to make possible the construction of bubbling columns of any desired unbroken length with as many bubble trays as required, without the necessity of flanging or of welding together, short sections of a column, containingv one or more trays each; second, to provide a bubble tray that has a relatively high capacity and efllciency for small diameter columns by eliminating supports, spacing bolts and other obstructions to the tree flow of fluids. Third, to provide a bubble tray whose down spout, of predetermined length, automatically insures that the free space in the column between trays will be definite and accurate, and will always correspond to the length of the down spout; fourth, to provide against the possibility of trays rotating out of proper position with relation to each other either during transportation or erection of an assembled column, or during operation; fifth, to provide a design that lends itself to manufacture in any metal, alloy or plastic required without change. Sixth, to provide a bubble tray that is easily removed from the column by simply pushing or pulling it therefrom without effecting any damage to parts except possibly to the gasket or packing material.

One form of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 is a top view of a' piston type bubble tray inserted in a tube, taken in the plane indicated by the line I--I of Fig. 2, looking in the direction.

. of the arrows, part of the bubble cap being broken away to show a portion of the vapor upshot nipple; and

Fig. 2 shows an assembly of two piston type I bubble trays as they appear when inserted in a pipe or tube, the tube being sectioned on the diametric plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, and the upper tray being shown in vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and the lower tray being shown in side elevation.

The trays here shown are the cast time. The tray proper, I, with vapor up-shot nipple 2, and skirt 3, and liquid down spout 4, being one inwidened section 6, for taking the over-lapped ends I5 of the flexible type of packing I4, is cast into the perimeter of the skirt. The flat face 'I, of the liquid down spout 4, is cut away for a short distance from the bottom and across its full width, to provide an opening 8, for the free efllux of liquid passing down this spout. On the bottom edge. of the curved back portion of the down spout are slots that fit over the keys 9, cast in the tray proper I, of the adjoining tray. This feature is for the purpose of preventing the trays from rotating out of correct position with respect to one another during shipment or erection of column. The bubble cap I0, is mounted on top of the vapor up-shot nipple 2, being positioned by centering webs and held down by bolt II, tightened against the compression clamp I2, which keys into the base 01' the vapor up-shot nipple 2. The trays are here shown inserted in a pipe or tube I3, and maintained tight against the wall of the same by means of packing I4, inserted in the groove 5, ,6.

A special tool is necessary for properly inserting the trays but no claim is made herein ijor such tool. The so-called bubbling principle has heretofore been known, consisting of the intimate contacting of liquids and vapors, the vapors rising through the vapor nipples, deflected downward by, and through the teeth of, the bubble cap, the teeth being submerged by the oil, and the oil flowing downward through the down spout of one tray, spilling onto the next lower tray, flowing across and into the down spout of the same tray, and so on.

By the present invention a bubble tray of the piston type is provided that permits the application of the true bubbling principle to columns of relatively small diameters for all types of service where the bubbling principle is applied, as for example in iractionators, without requiring the assembling of relatively short lengths of column containing one or more bubble trays, by welding, flanging, coupling or otherwise, in order to accomplish placement of trays, the piston type tray being inserted from either end of the pipe or tube forming the column, and held sufliciently tight against the column or shell by packing inserted in the groove of the tray, This may be a composition or metallic packing fitted into the groove before the tray is inserted into the column, or it may be injected in fluid form after the tray is in place. A bubble tray may be removed i'rom a column merely by pushing or pulling it out of the column, without damage to any of its parts unless it be the gasket or packing material, providing however that the normal strength of the tray has not been afl'ected by corrosion or other deleterious agencies while in service. The bubble tray lends itself to manufacture in any metal, alloy, plastic or other material without change in design and has features inherent in its design that insure true and correct positioning with relation to the column and with relation to other trays in the column, such as the conformity in curvature of the down spout with the column, and the length of down spout keeps the tray level and always perpendicular with the axis of the column; the length of down spout determines the spacing between trays; and the keying of the bottom edge of the down spout onto the lugs of the tray next below keeps all trays in proper rotational position with relation to each other.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bubble tower, a plurality of interchangeable and replaceable bubble trays, each tray comprising a cylindrical surface of a diameter to substantially fit into the bubble tower, packing between said surface and the wall of the tower, a liquid down-spout,means to rigidly secure the down-spout to the tray, said down-spout being formed with a curvilinear surface conforming to the inner surface of the tower and coacting means carried, respectively, by the end of the down-spout and the tray whereby relative movement of successive trays is prevented and the spacing of the trays is assured.

2. In a bubble tower, a plurality of interchangeable and replaceable bubble trays, each tray comprising a liquid down-spout rigidly secured to the tray, said down-spout being formed with a curvilinear surface conforming to the inner surface of the tower and coacting means carried, respectively, by the end of the downspout and the tray whereby relative movement of successive trays is prevented and the spacing of the trays is assured.

3. In a bubble tower, a plurality of interchangeable and replaceable bubble trays, each tray comprising a liquid down-spout rigidly secured to the tray, and coacting means carried, respectively, by the end of the down-spout and the tray whereby relative movement of successive trays is prevented.

4. In a bubble tower, a plurality of interchangeable and .replaceable bubble trays, each tray comprising a liquid down-spout rigidly secured to the tray and coacting means comprising lug and recess carried, respectively, by the end of the down-spout and the tray whereby relative movement of successive trays is prevented.

5. A bubble tray for a bubble tower comprising a circular disc formed with a peripheral flange of a peripheral diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the bubble tower, said flange being formed with a circumferential peripheral groove having a vertically widened section, said widened section being adapted to receive overlapping ends of a packing strip in the groove and a packing in the groove whereof the ends overlap in the widened section. BENJAMIN F. ARMSTRONG. 

